Categories
Technology & Gadgets

Digital Television in the Bay Area

  • To pick up digital television, I use a UHF/VHF splitter, high-end Titan 7777 amplifier, and a double-wide 8-bay UHF 4228 antenna and a 4-bay single wide 4221 from ChannelMaster. I have the big UHF antenna pointed at Sutro tower, and I’m actually using the small UHF antenna connected to the splitter to point at Channel 12 (11.1 = NBC). I’m still fine tuning this fragile arrangement, and weather is often a problem (most of all when it blows down my antenna.
  • Strangely enough, I can only pick up 56 and 57 (56 = 2.1 = FOX, 57 = 4.1 = KRON) when my antenna blows down. Go figure. Needs some investigation.
  • I’m behind a hill, so the antenna must be angled up to account for the diffraction over the hilltop, and I’m nearly 45 miles from the transmitter. I’ve received a lot of help with my setup from Ken Nist personally, and his invaluable website. Unfortunately, my wife doesn’t permit me to go on the roof as often as I like (view of San Jose is great), so I can’t tweak the antenna like I might want. Volunteers for antenna tweaking duty should apply here.
  • Find a conservative estimate of channels you can pick up at CEA’s antennaweb. You WILL be able to pick up more, and the information seems out of date
  • Up-to-date information on digital television channels in the Bay Area
    can be found here, with a list of transmitter locations I compiled here.
  • My receiver is a Hughes HR10-250 HD DirecTiVo PVR, Satellite and ATSC receiver, with four tuners.
  • Find out the digital channel guide information at TitanTV